Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-10-22
Arizona.

United States, m area she is an e,n,;-o All of the New England Stntes ,r;,b New York ard New Jersey corob;na'1 only equal her ID square miles of fer; tory. Her agricultural and bo,.i culsursl lgnd exceeds in screaos the entire area of either Inf tSe great states of Indiana, Virginia KenN lucky or Ohio. Her citrus frnit hoi, stretching from Yuma to the mountsin ranges of Pima, a distance of 2OO mics m length by l2j niles Tn width cootains lJpVO,OO0 acres of land upon. which win grow by iTglgGt;on, the orange. lemon. hme, banana, fig, olive, date and rasin grape. Every requirement. of soil and climate here exists to render if one of the richest citrus and semi-trop;eal iruit districts ID tho world.
 With virgin soil enriched by the debris Of vegetation of centuries. if pos sesses 6l the necessary elements of Vegetabie nutrition to yield abundant ana profitable crop without the ail of artinclal fertilization save the Hpplica- tlon of water, 1t needs only to tickle if With hoe and It will laugh with her vest Nowhere on this continent can there be found lands, with greater produolER capacity than ID the valleys of the Colorado, Salt, Gils, San Pedro. santa Cruz and Verde rivers. To re- clam these now desert lands, and make them yield Gbundsntly n profitable crops, there is needed an elaborate and pertect eystem of irrigation; already there have been constructed in Arizons some 4OJ miles of irrigRting canals s. & total cost of over SI,000.OGO which should reclaim about 2l5O0U acres of land, yet We have scarcely commenced. We greatly need and richly deserve federal sld by an appropriation for q 3ydragrapAlc survey with @ view to ob- talng wate. by storage, reservoirs m the mountain sheds and test the utility of ar!esisn wells for the same purpose in the valleys. The government can put Co no better use part ot the anwerranted ar3 surplus revenues which by an on- pre5slTe war tariff have been itsken from the people and boarded in the United States Treasury vaults than eXpend 1t ID the reclamation Of deserts lands. thus aidiug agricultural interests.
 is your executive 1 have urged in my annual report, snd am not without hope taat Congress VII look fsvoraOiy upon this reas napie request
 Nature has not confined Arizona tU the sole resources of Bglcuitare; with pToiigal hand she has scanned her mOuntg.ns with precious minerals of every kind known Co science. From the northern line Ht Utah tO the southern extreme Gt Sonora, gold, silver and cop pes are iouud hidden in every noun tain side; millions Of dollars cf precious metals gre annually produced as AriZo- mas output and contribution of metali- ferrous wealth. Mining camps are dot ted B,l over the lerriiorJ sud the music os hammer and drill keep time with the steady step Of the prospector ss be un- earths the hidden treasures. ThIs great and tlourishin2 industry IS still In its in- fancy, We are practically only prospect ioS at the 'grass roots" Uhlle our great ore bodies are yet uDdisturbed. Like agriculture II has experienced draw becks; without facilities for ansporta- tICn, far removed from smelteTs of Cal ifornia and Colorado, and with exhor- oitant freights. high grade ores have only been worked. Now that the freight car is Bt our door, Eampling works erected in our midst, freIghts reduced to 3 fair standpoint, R new impetus has been given to inning and the annual yield will steadily increase and Arizona take the lead as one Ct the greatest pro ducers of bullion of eny of the states or Territories.
 Another great and leading industry and source of wealth in ArizCns IS her stock growing. With pastural lands equal m area to all of New England; bnndrrds Of thoussnds of cBtIis roam over the grassy plains, veLeyE. and hill sides fGttening 6nd increasing. free from epidemic diseases and loss from severe climatic changes, while tho Texas stock men have their herds decimated by I-0uth. and the cattle Of Montana and Wyoming have perished by the thou sands from cold and hunger, our herds ve improved. and the loss from these causes have been merely nominal. With abundance of nutritious grasses ard our equsble cIimg.e, stock roam the ranges the entire year with perfect security, needing no additional food. With sound s snitery laws and sn able and honest Board ot LIye Stock Sanitary Commls- siuners to see them enforced, this great, growing, and prosperous industry E fn,ly protected against the introduction of contagious diseases amongst lts he.ds.
 We have forests and timber tracts GOV erinQ as many square miles ss Comet icut New Jersey and Delewgre combined and We have coal mines which will pro iuce an excellent quality of fuel Tor do- nestle and manufacturing purposes.
 We have a climate free from the heavy fogs. damp winds and severe colds tng; in other lands almost render life Q bur den and enjoy the luxury Of dry, pure, and brscIng atmosphere with plenty of sunshine and clear skies. What more could nature do for Guy land? She has been lavish in the distribution Of her ta' yors. With abundance of land. fertility and prolifcness of soil. perfect climate, plenty of lumber, fuel and water, m .old millions of wealth n her mInss, V hat can retard the progress of Arizona! Here people are brave. intelligent, gen erous and progressive, maintaining complete system of public educaiIon, rapid strides m the develope- ment of moral and material interests; they are laying tho foundation deep and strong for tine buildiDg up of free and and sovereign StGt5, which in grandeur. resources and intelligence will prove the equal of any in the Federal Union.